How to Eat Healthy While On-the-Go

It happens to the best of us: We’ve been cooking whole-food meals for our family, we’re in a regular routine and our healthy habits are strong. Then…something happens. A schedule change. Date night. A weekend getaway. Life challenges our home-cooking habits, and all of a sudden, healthy eating flies out the window.

It’s okay! Life happens.

The first thing to remember is to be kind to yourself. It’s okay to splurge and enjoy. In fact, part of healthy eating includes sweet treats, french fries, and special-occasion meals. (In moderation, of course.) However, when life throws you lots of changes, dinner invites, and schedules that demand on-the-go eating, it’s helpful to have resources and knowledge to support you in making healthy food choices. This blog is all about providing those tips and tools so you feel prepared to eat well even when life gets busy and crazy. Let’s be real: dining out and busy schedules are more common than not.

So how do we make choices that won’t interrupt our healthy eating practices at home? Maintaining a healthy diet doesn't have to be a challenge when eating outside of the house. With a little planning, mindfulness, and the right strategies, you can enjoy delicious meals while staying on track with your health goals.

I’ve divided the blog into two sections: eating healthy at a restaurant and general eating on-the-go tips. Personally, I need these reminders weekly. I recommend saving the blog, printing it, or writing down your favorite tips so that you can refer back to it whenever you need!

Eating Healthy at a Restaurant

Choose Your Destination Wisely

It’s not always possible to choose the restaurant. Sometimes, a friend has chosen the spot, or it’s just not in the cards for you to choose. Don’t panic if you can’t choose (the tips below will still help you). But if you can choose the restaurant- be picky. Select restaurants or eateries that emphasize fresh and locally sourced ingredients. Farm-to-table and organic-focused establishments are more likely to offer nutrient-rich meals. Whenever I’m traveling, I always google “farm-to-table restaurants near me”. Yes, they can be relatively pricey, but I usually leave feeling better than I would leaving Applebees (no offense to Applebees). Not only will local restaurants be more likely to serve high quality foods, you’ll also be supporting the local economy. It’s a win-win!

Choosing the restaurant also gives you the ability to stick to any dietary restrictions and be mindful of allergies. If you’re gluten free, dairy free, vegan, paleo, or following any certain healthy eating guidelines, the best thing to do is to google restaurants that will suit your preference. Along with looking up local farm to table restaurants, I also google “gluten-free restaurants” as I am gluten-free. Luckily, most places these days have at least one or two items that can accommodate you, but sometimes you get lucky and find a whole restaurant dedicated to your preferred diet. If you choose the restaurant, it’s worth searching for one that suits your needs. Don’t worry about being picky. Drop the shame, and proudly make the choices that are best for you and your health.

Along with chains, I also try to avoid buffets. I make exceptions (especially on holidays), but in general, it’s wise to avoid buffets when possible. The temptation of a variety of food can be challenging enough, but foods left on heaters for too long start to lose their nutrients. Moreover, there is often a higher risk of cross-contamination and germs. In general, buffets are just not a very healthy option. If you must eat at a buffet, check out this list of 10 things to avoid when eating at a buffet. Finally, when it comes to choosing a restaurant, steer clear of fast-food restaurants. More on this in the travel section.

Research the Menu

I almost always know what I’m going to order at a restaurant before I even arrive. Thanks to the internet you can preview pretty much any menu from any restaurant. This is also helpful when choosing the restaurant, but even if you can’t choose, you can still plan your order ahead of time. Many places now provide nutritional information online along with the menu, helping you make informed choices. I’m always surprised when I look at the nutrition facts for restaurant salads. Some of them are loaded with sugar. Yes, sugar in salads. Often salad dressings are sweetened with a heaping dose of sugar. This is fine if you aren’t trying to avoid sugar, but if you struggle with diabetes or are trying to limit sugar, then the salad might not be the best option or order olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the side as an alternative. This is why researching the menu, and if possible, the nutrition facts ahead of time can be helpful.

A friend recently suggested a restaurant I had never been to. I wanted to make sure there were gluten-free options ahead of time. When I looked at the menu, nothing looked gluten-free. I called the restaurant. To my pleasant surprise, they had several options! It was helpful to have some ideas of what I could order, but there was another perk. The days leading up to the dinner, I started craving one of the gluten free options. Looking at the menu ahead of time started to prepare my taste buds for what I was going to eat. When we were at the restaurant and I saw a big plate of fried egg rolls, I wasn’t tempted to order them, because I was already craving the gluten free veggie filled curry I had pre-ordered in my mind when researching the menu. Knowing the menu in advance doesn’t just save time when ordering, it also helps us to make choices that are aligned with our healthy eating habits.

Mindful Menu Navigation

Okay, so you found the menu online-now what? Sometimes the healthy food is obvious; other times, not so much. When faced with a menu there are certain keywords to look out for that can help you make your healthy choices. Scan for keywords like "grilled", "steamed", "baked", or "roasted." These terms usually indicate healthier cooking methods. Avoid items described as "fried". "breaded". or "crispy", as these can be high in unhealthy fats and calories. This is a simple, yet useful trick!

Customize Your Order & ADD ON

Don't be afraid to ask for modifications to suit your dietary preferences! Most places these days are happy to adjust an item to make it gluten-free, dairy-free, or whatever you need. If you’re avoiding sugar, but want the salad, ask if the dressing is sugary. Sometimes, the server can find out the nutrition info for you if it wasn’t already listed. If the dressing is sugary, maybe ask for it on the side or swap it out for oil and vinegar or just lemon. There are so many different ways to customize your order. Swap out fries for a side salad or steamed vegetables, opt for whole-grain bread, get the burger without the bun, and/or request lean protein sources like chicken, fish, or tofu. Be extra! Who cares if it feels like a lot- your health is more important than the opinion of others. For example, one of my personal favorite orders is a salad from Sweetgreen. I like the super green goddess salad- no chickpeas (Don’t love them), no lentils (can’t digest), add grilled chicken (protein), and swap the goddess dressing (dairy & too creamy) for the vegan pesto dressing-on the side. Is it extra? Yes. Do I care? No. My body loves me for this order, so I order it with pride.

Another trick when ordering is to add on. This is similar to what I did with the added chicken, but adding on can be about more than just adding protein. This trick is especially helpful when you are trying to eat intuitively. Sometimes we have a craving for something deemed unhealthy and we just can’t help it. Rather than trying to avoid ordering what you want, get what you want, and add on. Let’s say you want mac and cheese. Yum. Get the mac and cheese! Add some chicken and maybe a side salad or a side of veggies and enjoy! Or maybe we really do want that sugary salad dressing. Order the salad with extra avocado. Avocados are a healthy fat that help to balance blood sugar. Sometimes when we try too hard to eat healthy, we choose foods we really don’t want. This can hurt us in the long run and set us up for a binge later on. So, if you’re craving something- get it. And then ask, how can I add to this to make it healthier? Think, veggies, protein, healthy fats.

Control Portions

Restaurant portions are often larger than what you would serve yourself at home. If you know that the restaurant is known for big portions, consider sharing an entrée with a friend or asking for a half portion. Alternatively, you can ask the server for a box the moment you get your meal. This will help remind yourself to not eat it all. You can even put a portion of the food in the box before you start eating, so you know not to eat the full plate.

When trying to watch your portions, check out the appetizer menu! Depending on the appetizer, you may find some great options for smaller portions. For instance, there might be a chicken wings appetizer portion vs. a dinner plate of chicken wings. Ask the server about sizes, and make sure to give the appetizer section a good glance.

Another way to help with portion control is to eat mindfully. If we eat slow enough and savor each bite, our body will tell us when it is full. The key is to eat mindfully enough to listen. Eating mindfully can be difficult, but eating with other people can help us. Put down your utensils between bites and engage in conversation. Taking the time to pause and have conversation throughout dinner aids in digestion, and allows us to enjoy our food more. The slower pace you adapt, the more likely you are to avoid overeating.

General Eating On-the-Go

Beware of Liquid Calories

This tip goes for eating at restaurants too, but it is especially pertinent to those who are traveling or have a tendency to stop at convenience stores during your work break. Grabbing a soda or even a bottled smoothie from the gas station adds a lot of unwanted sugar. These sugary drinks can add a significant amount of calories to your meal. When possible, choose water, unsweetened iced tea, or beverages without added sugars. If you prefer alcohol, opt for a single glass of wine or a light beer.

When you are at a restaurant you can’t always know the nutrition facts in a drink, but when you’re at a convenience mart, it’s easy to check the label to see how much sugar is in those drinks. Be aware of the fruit juices and bottle smoothies. Oftentimes, they are filled with “added sugar”. Added sugar is different than natural sugars. If a juice has 30grams of sugar and 27g of it is added sugar, that means only 3g of sugar are healthy/natural sugar. These high calorie sugary drinks may taste yummy, but they are often averse to our healthy eating goals.

Read Labels

It’s not just the sugary drinks we need to be aware of. There are lots of snacks out there loaded with extra calories and high fat. When picking snacks from a store on-the-go, you’ll want to look at all the labels, not just the drinks. Sometimes labels will trick you with “low fat”, or “gluten-free” printed boldly on the label. Just because something is low-fat or gluten-free doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy. For example potato chips are gluten-free. You might also see a low-fat cookie. A low-fat cookie can still be filled with sugar. If you're grabbing packaged snacks, read the nutritional labels. Look for options that are low in added sugars, saturated fats, and high in fiber or protein. Some of my favorites are the pre-packaged carrots and hummus, peanuts/nut mixes, fruit cups, and beef jerky. However, you always want to double check the beef jerky. Some of those teriyaki flavors are full of sugar.

It can be very difficult finding healthy snacks on-the-go. This is why I think the best tip for eating on the go, is to plan ahead, and pack your own snack.

DIY Snack Packs

If you’re a truck/delivery driver, work on-the-go, or running from carpool to pick up to after school activities, I highly recommend investing in a small cooler. When you're eating on-the-go, it's crucial to have healthy snacks readily available. Pack a small cooler with items like cut-up fruits, vegetables, nuts, and yogurt. This helps you avoid the temptation of unhealthy convenience store options. One of the great things about pre-making your own snacks is that you can create a portion-controlled snack. This way, you won't overindulge. It’s also nice to have options. Sometimes, you don’t know what you’re going to be craving. Make sure to have several different options. One of my favorite snacks is a protein energy ball. I also love some pre-made egg bites. Check out more inspiring recipes from Nest Health Connections. While there are so many great snack options to make, I must say, a good old banana almost always satisfies. I also love an apple and some peanut butter. Sometimes it’s the simplest snacks that we forget about. It’s so easy to throw an apple or an orange in your bag before work. A sweet fruit snack may be all you need to stay on track during your busy scheduled day or while traveling.

Fast Food

Okay, let’s talk fast food. Personally, I avoid it at all costs. If I’m traveling, along with snacks, I’ll pack sandwiches, wraps, jar salads, and other meal options. If I made dinner the night before, I’ll have leftovers in my cooler as well. I understand that some leftovers might not be good cold, but I’d rather eat cold leftovers than fast food that I’ll regret eating later. For me, there is just too much research out there on the negative impact. It’s just not worth it. But I understand there are times when you are in a bind, and you have to do what you have to do. When this happens, I’d refer you to consult some of the previous tips. Look for grilled chicken, get sauces on the side, swap the fries for an apple/side salad. Avoid the sugary drinks, and when possible add veggies.

You can also plan ahead. Google the area you will be around. When I’m road tripping and don’t have snacks or a lunch pre-packed I try to pre-find where a Chipotle, Panera, or other fast-food-forward alternatives might be. When in doubt, and you have no choice and find yourself face to face with McDonald’s or Burger King, and you don’t want a salad, but don’t want to completely binge- get the kids’ meal. It will give you a smaller portion, satisfy your burger and fries craving, and it usually comes with apple slices or some kind of fruit option.

Go to the Grocery Store

Convenience stores are convenient, but often a grocery store is nearby. Grocery stores are cheaper and healthier alternatives to gas station snacks. You can find pre-made sandwiches, veggie trays, fruit boxes, and more in the fresh food section. These are often fresher than what you will find at the local 7-Eleven. Stocking up on grocery snacks before a road trip or just before your work day is a great way to stay healthy!

Stay Hydrated

Often, when we think we want a snack, we are not actually hungry; we’re thirsty! Our bodies often confuse thirst with hunger, leading us to make unnecessary food choices. Staying hydrated on-the-go is so important and a great way to avoid overeating/eating when bored. Carry a reusable water bottle with you to stay hydrated throughout the day, and remember to reach your daily water intake goal!

Final Thoughts

Eating healthy when dining out or eating on-the-go requires a combination of planning, intentional decision-making, and mindfulness. By following these strategies, you can enjoy delicious meals without compromising your health goals. Remember, it's all about balance and making informed decisions that align with your well-being. With practice, healthy eating in any situation can become second nature!

Sources:

https://www.mashed.com/115462/gross-things-never-knew-eating-buffet/

https://www.thehealthy.com/food/what-you-shouldnt-touch-at-all-you-can-eat-buffets/

https://www.apwuhp.com/10-tips-for-making-healthy-choices-at-any-restaurant/#:~:text=Reviewing%20nutrition%20information%20ahead%20of,to%20eat%20a%20lighter%20dinner.

https://karidahlgren.net/restrict-binge-cycle/

https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/mindfulness-helps-us-digest-and-enjoy-our-food

https://www.nesthealthconnections.com/favorite-recipes-1/2019/2/6/dark-chocolate-hemp-energy-bites

https://www.nesthealthconnections.com/favorite-recipes-1/2018/6/18/baked-egg-muffins

https://www.nesthealthconnections.com/recipes

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324847#long-term-impacts